For The First Time
by NothingnessAlchemist
Summary: Hermione and Severus love story isn't so perfect. Folow them through their struggles. Will things work out or will their love crumble? Based on "For the first time" by The Script.


This is obviously non-Deathy Hallows compliant. I will warn you ahead of time: this is HermionexSeverus. If you don't like,don't read. I love reviews; constructive criticism is appreciated. The song is "For the first time" by The Script. Thanks for reading. Please review.

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><p><strong>She's all laid up in bed with a broken heart<strong>

**While I'm drinking jack all alone in my local bar  
><strong>**  
>And we don't know how we got into this mad situation<br>****  
>Only doing things out of frustration<strong>

Hermione hadn't moved from their bed yet and it was nearing dusk already. Things were so difficult now. She didn't know what was happening to them. They fought constantly. It was like their love was crumbling before them,and there was nothing they could do.

Severus was located,as usual nowadays,in the sitting room drinking some hard liquor and glaring at the fire. He didn't understand how things could go from wonderful to bad so quick. He seemed to be getting so irritated so easily now,and he'd developed a terrible habit of sitting in front of the fire with a bottle of liquor until he was half asleep and completely drunk.

**Trying to make it work,but,man,these times are hard**

**She needs me now but I can't seem to find the time**

**I've got a new job now on the unemployment line**

**And we don't know how we got into this mess**

**This is God's test**

**Someone help us 'cause we're doing our best**

It wasn't like she hadn't tried to work their problems out. But with the war recently ended Severus's idea of staying at least halfway drunk for the majority of a day and night sounded wonderful. Everyone was still mourning,even herself. She needed someone she could tell her nightmares about the war to ,someone to comfort her when she thought about the victims of the war, and someone to help her with daily struggles in general. Maybe this was what all couples went through. Maybe this was a test and if they made it through,this would be the worst part. She didn't really believe that,but she still put forth her best efforts.

He really tried. He did,but dealing with all his memories of his many years as a spy and the war, everyone's disapproval of their relationship, and the press's major interest in "an unconventional love story of a secret war hero"-as a reporter had said-was a lot to deal with by itself. He could hear her crying in their room sometimes-either the war or their relationship,he guessed; he didn't really want to find out either way. It's just easier to fall into a liquid that lets everything seem alright. He hadn't accepted Hogwart's proposition to give him either the Defense Against the Dark Arts or Potions position-whichever he might prefer. He hoped somehow things would work out,and maybe this would be for the best. This was a test. Everyone seeing whether they would last,whether they could truly handle this. If they could,he doubted it,but still tried.

**Trying to make it work,but,man,these times are hard**

**But we're gonna start by drinking old cheap bottles of wine**

**S*** talking up all night**

**Saying things we haven't for awhile,awhile,yeah**

**We're smiling but we're close to tears**

**Even after all these years**

**We just now got the feeling that we're meeting..**

**For the first time**

Hermione was surprised when Severus had knocked on the door with bottles of various wine and a yellow rose. He had sat on the edge of the bed,and asked her about her day,even though he knew she'd been teaching. They'd talked about meaningless things,and their conversation wouldn't even be remembered tomorrow if they drunk all the wine Sev had brought. Everything was so tense though,as though one second everything could be bumpy at best and the next everything would unravel. She was somehow halfway sober when he left the room at 5 A.M. and said,"I'm sorry." She'd said "It's okay. Me too." It felt like the first night that they'd talked,6 months ago after a big Hogwarts party.

He'd convinced Neville,Sprout's assistant,to give him a yellow rose. He visited the kitchens and gave out a few clothes Hermione had knitted for them for SPEW as bribes for the wine. He was nervous as he sat down,but once they started talking things started to ease up a little. Of course tension was still lingering,and he was painfully aware. It was like falling in love all over again,like that first night they'd talked. They'd both went off to the side to escape the crowd,and ended up chatting. They'd talked until early in the morning,far past the length of the party. As he'd left her room,he was overcome with a sadness and regret and had whispered,"I'm sorry." The best part of the night? She'd forgiven him.

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh**

**She's in line at the door with her head held high**

**While I just lost my job but didn't lose my pride**

**And we both know how we're gonna make it work when it hurts**

**When you pick yourself up**

**You get kicked to the dirt**

Hermione decided she'd take people's odd looks and held her head high. Nothing was going to upset her today,not even Severus. She'd heard he'd already lost his job as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Perhaps a break and he'd be up to it. He can't keep his job and stop drinking. She can't quit being sad and crying. This was the worst she'd ever felt. How they were gonna make it,she didn't know.

Severus had been called to Minerva's office that morning and she'd "suggested he take a while to get things settled and then come back". Two weeks with a job,and it was gone again. His back was as stiff as ever,his stride quick and purposeful,his robes flying behind him. No one dared to get in his way or even look at him for more than a second. He'd find a way to work this out with Hermione because Minerva was correct-he needed to fix some things. It'd be hard,but he had determination in his step now.

**Trying to make it work,but,man,these times are hard**

**But we're gonna start by drinking old cheap bottles of wine**

**S*** talking up all night**

**Doing things we haven't for awhile,awhile,yeah**

**We're smiling but we're close to tears**

**Even after all these years**

**We just now got the feeling that we're meeting..**

**For the first time**

Again,weeks after the first time,Severus brought her a rose-red this time-and a few wine bottles. The process was the same,but different than the first time. They talked about the same things,

generally,but she felt like some barrier had been broken down. She felt now things would be easier,still hard,but just less difficult. She was happy for the unexpected progress,but still afraid that the barrier would snap back. This time when he'd left-at about 7 A.M.- he said,"I miss you."

He managed to convince Neville to spare him a single red rose after a half hour. Again,he brought wine. He could feel a change after awhile. Talking wasn't as tense,but a little more comfortable. He knew it could change at any moment,but he relished just getting what time he did get that felt normal. He'd left and said,"I miss you." She'd smiled and said the same back,sincerely.

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh**

**Drinking old cheap bottles of wine**

**S*** talking up all night**

**Saying things we haven't for awhile**

**We're smiling but we're close to tears**

**Even after all these years**

**We just now got the feeling that we're meeting..**

**For the first time**

It seemed almost a routine now,after the first two times he'd come. She accepted the beautiful white rose with a smile. They'd talked more in-depth and for longer this time. The sun was well into the sky by the time they'd decided a good stopping point for their conversation. This time he didn't leave. He said,"I love you." She'd sat,thinking,for a moment before she said, "I love you too. I've missed you so much."

The white rose was harder to persuade Neville to let go of. But the look on Hermione's face when she'd saw it was worth the trouble. He didn't mean to,but he'd stayed until it had to be around noon from the position of the sun. He decided not to leave this time,and said,"I love you." He held his breath but she said it back,and he felt more relieved than ever. He couldn't resist and placed a loving kiss on her lips. The first they'd shared in months.

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh (Yeah,For the first time)**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh (For the first time)**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh (Yeah,For the first time)**

**ooh,ooh,ooh,ooh (We just now got the feeling that we're meeting..for the first time)**

**Oh,these times are hard**

**And they're making us crazy**

**Don't give up on me baby**

**Oh,these times are hard**

**And they're making us crazy**

**Don't give up on me baby**

**Oh,these times are hard**

**And they're making us crazy**

**Don't give up on me baby**

**Oh,these times are hard**

**And they're making us crazy**

**Don't give up on me baby**

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><p>I hope you liked it. Again,please review.<p>

Thanks,  
>-NothingnessAlchemist<p> 


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